When an African player moves between clubs, the clubs that trained him as a youngster may be entitled to money. FIFA's training rewards are an important source of income for African clubs and academies.
Solidarity contribution
Whenever a professional player moves to another club during a contract, for a transfer fee, 5% of the fee is set aside as a solidarity contribution. It is shared between the clubs that trained the player between the ages of 12 and 23, in proportion to the years spent at each. Since 2020 the rules also cover some domestic transfers with an international dimension.
For example, if a player who trained at a club in Ghana from age 12 to 18 is later sold between two European clubs, the Ghanaian club can claim a share of that 5%, even though it was not part of the deal.
Training compensation
Training compensation is paid when a young player signs his first professional contract, and on each transfer until the end of the season of his 23rd birthday, to reward the clubs that trained him between the ages of 12 and 21. The amount depends on the category of the new club and the years of training. It applies to international moves and is meant to reward clubs that invest in youth development.
The FIFA Clearing House
In the past, many small clubs never received what they were owed, because they did not know a transfer had happened or lacked the resources to claim. FIFA launched its Clearing House in 2022 to calculate and pay training rewards centrally, using the player's electronic registration history. Accurate registration with the national association is therefore essential: if a club never registered the player, it cannot claim.
Why it matters for Africa
Africa exports many players, so training rewards can be a significant income for clubs and academies that develop them. Associations that keep complete digital player registers help their clubs benefit. Explore the routes African players take on our transfers page and the map of where African players play.